Photograph by Aaron Suozzi
Phillip Concilla makes the acquaintance of a computer on his first day of class at the SeniorNet Center in the Willows Senior Center.
By Christi Welter
In large part, it is industry that has defined employees over 50 as "older." With the rash of downsizing in recent years, many professionals who enjoyed long careers with a single company have found themselves unexpectedly out of a job.
Unlike many older adults who are interested in part-time work to supplement their retirement incomes, those who've been forced into retirement are looking for full-time work, preferably at a salary close to what they were making before.
What many find, however, is that once they hit 50, their résumés seldom get a second glance in personnel offices. That phenomenon has given rise to companies like the Senior Staff, which offers a job database for those over 50.
When Leon Hamner, an over-50 businessman, wanted a career change, he thought his strong background in sales and marketing would hold him in good stead. He also had owned his own successful company. His background was impressive, so he was shocked when he sent out 50 résumés and received not one response.
When he talked to other business people, he discovered his experience was not unusual. The prevailing wisdom was that employers simply did not respond to résumés, no matter how qualified the applicant might be, if that applicant was over 55.
Then Hamner discovered The Senior Staff. He paid the $35 membership fee and began using the company's database. Within a week, he had a response. In two weeks, he had a job.
Today, he is the CEO of another company and has hired three employees through The Senior Staff.
Joanne Mullins also found a position through The Senior Staff. She determined that she wanted to work part time to allow her time to pursue interests such as painting and running. While her résumé was at The Senior Staff for several months, the right position eventually became available. Today, she enjoys her job as an office manager and still has time to pursue her other interests.
Bill Payson is chairman and CEO of The Senior Staff, based in Campbell. "Twenty-five percent of the population nationally, and in Santa Clara County, is over 50," he says. The company's database is geared toward employers who are looking for older employees.
Although Payson acknowledges that many of those who find jobs through The Senior Staff earn less pay than they did on previous jobs, he points out that many of those who come to The Senior Staff are also looking for new experiences.
Another program that has had success finding job opportunities for seniors is Proven People. Located in the Sunnyvale Senior Center, Proven People is funded by NOVA Private Industry Council, a part of the city of Sunnyvale. Proven People matches those 55 and over with jobs. Counselors interview, assess and assist applicants with the application process and with interviewing and résumé preparation.
Mary Ortner and Marge Pritchard are two of Proven People's success stories. Today, the two women are job counselors and work together as a team. A few years ago, both were unemployed and looking for work.
Pritchard came out of the electronics field and Ortner did clerical and retail work. She had been laid off four times in 10 years. Proven People determined that each had good people and analytical skills that would make them a good combination to work for the agency.
At Proven People, seniors work with older counselors who have been in their shoes and understand some of the difficulties--not the least of which is emotional stress--that seniors in the job market experience.
"We've walked in their shoes," says Ortner, who was once far from the computer-literate person she is today.
She can remember a day she sat crying in front of a computer until she decided to take charge and in a firm voice, told the computer it was no longer going to intimidate her, that it was the product of a human being. With that affirmation, she began to teach herself.
Actually, for many seniors, what stands between them and employment is their lack of familiarity with computers.
The idea behind SeniorNet, a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, is to teach seniors to use computers--not just to help them back into the job market, but also to help them overcome the feeling that today's technology is leaving them in the dust.
There are more than 65 SeniorNet learning centers, including one at the Willows Senior Center on Lincoln Avenue in the Willow Glen area of San Jose.
More than 1,100 seniors have been trained since the program began in March, 1994, according to Allen Briscoe, assistant director at the senior center. Fees are $35 per person and $40 per couple.
Classes range from introductory to advanced and include applications, such as spreadsheets, database management and word processing.
Seniors are also encouraged to get involved with Internet chat lines to communicate with other seniors.
Regardless of the obstacles, many of today's older citizens are refusing to be shut out of the job market--whether they're displaced workers looking for full-time employment, or older seniors who want to supplement their retirement incomes.
Employment Opportunities
Career Action Center--10420 Bubb Road, Cupertino, 95014 (408/253-3200). Fax: 257-6400; email: info_request@careeraction.org; Web page: http://www.gatenet.com/cac/.
YWCA Career Center--375 S. Third St., San Jose, 95112 (408/295-4011, ext. 236)
Forty Plus of N. California Non-Profit--1150 N. First St., #201, San Jose, 95112 (408/288-3555)
Employment Development Department--Employment and training services, job listings. Look under "California, State of" in the front of the White Pages of the phone book for a local EDD office.
Jewish Family Service of Santa Clara County--14855 Oka Road, #3, Los Gatos, 95030 (408/356-7576).
Experience Unlimited--State Employment Development Center, 505 W. Olive Ave., #200, Sunnyvale, 94086 (408/736-2391; fax: 737-1247).
Proven People Senior Employment Project--820 W. McKinley Ave., #105, Sunnyvale, 94086 (408/730-7368).
Senior Employment Resource Center--San Jose Office on Aging, 1190 S. Bascom Ave., #220, San Jose, 95128 (408/297-3245).
The Senior Staff--P.O. Box 1382, Campbell, 95009 (408/371-9064).
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, January 22, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.